Penalty Determinations under Forest and Range Practices Legislation

Forest and range practices on provincial land in BC are regulated by the Forest and Range Practices Act and the Wildfire Act. One way these laws are enforced is through the use of administrative penalties, which are issued by government officials, rather than by the courts. They provide an efficient way to enforce legislation, if appropriately used. Compared to the court process, administrative penalties can be faster and are less formal. Also, decisions are made by officials who are familiar with the forestry context, rather than by judges, who may not be.

The purpose of this report is to provide information to the public, forest and range agreement holders and government officials about administrative penalties related to forest and range practices, including the size of penalties, statutory defences such as due diligence, and the types of activity that give rise to penalties.